atheism a is religion?

i keep hearing things [from present and past] about atheists being "offended". but i was under the impression that atheism was merely a label.

i think that was wierd

 

I consider atheism a label and nothing more. I think for something to be considered a religion there has to be a set doctrine of beliefs, and I don't think "there's no god" counts.

 

Atheism is just a label. There are atheists of all sorts, including uptight bitchy ones.
I personally hate those atheists =)

 

religion doesn't require a doctrine. i can see how atheism can be considered a religion, or maybe it would be better to say i can see how atheists can be considered religous...but it depends on the person's beliefs.

but i believe everyone is religious to some extent, whether or not they practice an organized religion or not.

 

I think you are confusing religious and spiritual.
Most scholarly definitions of religion define it as needing a doctrine, whether written or not - I trust them over you. You are not typically considered religious unless you adhere (at least in your own thought and word) to some specific dogma.
Spiritually requires no set beliefs whatsoever, however; and most people are at least a little spiritual.

 

no, even scholars of religion go back and forth debating how to define religion. Most will say everyone is religious to an extent, even those who claim to be completely non-religious. The word "spiritual" was created to either condemn religion, or with a negative connotation to "new age thinkers".

 

What?! =S
Since when?

I rarely even hear it used in a negative context.

 

idk exactly when man i'm a religion major, and in my comparative religion class we discussed this

i rarely hear it used in a negative context now days, but that doesn't mean its original purpose wasn't negative...i say i'm spiritual, but i admit that i use the two interchangably depending on who i am discussing the topic of relgion with.

 

...
"just because I have no proof of it doesn't mean it didn't happen!"

but it's cool that you admit the second part, and you really should learn to watch it, they mean completely different things. I find myself to be rather spiritual - I am not the teensiest tiniest bit religious.

 

umm i don't need to be told how to refer to myself. i use them interchangably because i believe them to be synonymous...thats the problem with discussions about religion/spirituality people always try to tell people how to see/feel/talk etc...frustrating

 

No, I'm telling you how to communicate clearly - that's the problem with words, if you don't know how to use them other people have no clue what the fuck you are meaning.

Stop telling me what I'm doing; you ignorant, arrogant jackass.
I was trying to help you to be able to communicate your thoughts more clearly, as look in any dictionary, and you will see very different definitions for the two words, and you throw it in my face trying to tell me that I'm telling you how to think?
Fuck off.

 

lol i wasn't degrading you at all man, WOW
i'm semi drunk right now so fuck it
also, definitions restrict communication, it's kind of like seeing colors sometimes people see shit differently, except i've studied this and discussed it a lot with plenty of scholars

but yes call me out

 

Definitions restrict communication?
How so?
Without definitions there could be no languages.

And how is telling me that I'm telling you what to feel/think, etc. not degrading me?
Please explain that.
You're the one that called me out when you pulled that bullshit.
I was telling you that they are different words, suggesting that you recognize this, but I never told you that you have to recognize this.
I really don't see the point of talking about religion/spirituality if you don't even know what they mean. And please don't talk to me about them again - as your definitions clearly aren't compatible with my own.

Have fun excusing your actions because of your alcohol usage

PS you might as well say "sorry, I'm just stupid man"

 

atheism a is religion?


are there atheist shrines somewhere? don't all religions have shrines?

 

Atheism is a rejection of theistic doctrines. We just believe that this world is it and there is nothing after this.

There are two types of atheists

Negative atheists(Whiny bitches and hipsters) deny all forms of god(s).
Positive atheists(Mature atheists) reject the belief of it.

 

I see athiestism a religion cause its what you believe in.. its not just "theres no god" or whatever athiests have their reasons for what they believe in.

 

I'm sorry, but it seems to me that you're going to make a pretty poor theology major.

 

actually, the term 'atheist' is simply the term 'theist' (which would refer to one who believes in some sort of deity), with the prefix 'a' (which represents being without). so, atheism essentially means without belief in a deity. as far as i know, there are no dogmatic rituals that atheists take part in... no sacred texts... so how can you say atheism is a religion? i'm an atheist. to say i have reasons for believing that there's no bearded old guy flyin around the cosmos interfering with the lives of mortals on a regular basis and demanding tribute from them is, in a way, laughable. i suppose i should have reasons for suspecting that the easter bunny and santa clause are a load of shit, too. it's simple... they just aren't real.

 

Ha good point, i dont consider it a religion either. Nor do i consider Deism and Agnosticism religion.

 

For that matter, I wouldn't consider theism a religion--as opposed to Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and the other theist subdivisions that have doctrines and rituals.
Atheism can be a religion if those start to develop. I went to a meeting of the American Humanist Society once where they were talking about developing some rituals like the "pesentation of the child". I don't know if that ever took hold, but if it did I could see an atheist religion in the making.